Rotary show-case stand



` Feb. 2V, 1926.

c. E. NICHOLS ROTARY SHOW CASE STAND l Filed Dec. 29.. 1925 2 sheds-sheet -2 Patented Feb. 2, i926.

UNITED STATES CHARLIE E. NCHOLS, 0F AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

ROTARY SHOJV-CASE STAND.

Application led December 23 1924-. Serial No. 758,657.

T0 all 'whom 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE E. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia., have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rotary Show- Case Stands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved ro tary stand for show cases, revolving cabinets, and the like, and it has more particulai' reference to a device of this class, which embodies a motor for driving the rotary parts of the stand, so as to revolve the cabinet attached to said parts.

Briefly, the improved structure embodies a relatively stationary circular track, upon which a cabinet carrying head is freely mounted for rotation, together with an improved motor driven unit movably mounted and embodying a friction driving element to be moved into and out of contact with said head, so as to permit it to be rotated, for the desired degree and then stopped.

One feature of the `invention is the particular rotating cabinet carrying head which is in the form of a spider, equipped with a band, with which the aforesaid friction driving element is adapted to cooperate for revolving` the head.

Another feature of construction is the improved relatively stationary stand, embodying the standards carrying the circular track, upon which said head is mounted, there being guide rods carried by and disposed beneath the track, to serve as a mounting for the motor driven gear unit. f

A further feature of the invention is the construction and arrangement of parts forming the motor driven gear unit, the same en'ibodying a slide which is mounted upon the aforesaid guide rod, a friction driving wheel and intermeshing gearing all in permanent driving relation, and carried by the slide so that the unit can be bodily tilted into or out of operative position.

Other features and advantages derived from their use will become apparent as the description goes on.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view, with a portion broken away, of a revolving cabinet stand, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the stand.

showing the association of a cabinet therewith. o

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional and elevational view, showing the major details of the motor driven gear unit.

Figure 4C is a view, like Figure 3, showing one end of the slidable mounting plate of said unit, and means for shifting it.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the rotary head `is generally designated by the reference character l, it being obvious that the cabinet 2 (see Figure '2) is bolted or otherwise secured thereto, for rotation therewith. Although this head may be constructed otherwise, it preferably comprises a. spider, the arms 3 of which are disposed in circumferentially spaced radial relation, and are of I-beam cross section. Carried by the spider arm is a circular band 4, which serves in a manner to be hereinafter described. At circuinferentially spaced points, this band (see Figure 8) is provided with sockets or their equivalents, in which anti-friction balls 6 are mounted, to facili tate free rotation of the head. As stated, the spider arms may be fastened to the cabinet 2 in any' appropriate way.

Disposedbeneath the rotating head l is the relatively stationary part of the so-called stand. This part comprises small standards 7, screw threaded'at their upper ends into sockets 8, at the outer ends of radiating arms 9. The opposed pairs of standards or legs are connected together by Vreinforcing rods l0. This forms a substantially rigid table, upon which a circular track ll is perg .inzniently fastened. The track ll is of a diameter greater than the aforesaid band l, to permit the anti-friction balls 6 carried by said band to ride thereon. If desired, as seen in Figure 3, the upper side `of the track may be spaced with a fiber ring l2. This table is provided at its center with an upstanding journal 13, passed through a central bearing opening in the aforesaid head l, a nut or the like la being threaded on the upper end of the journal for inaintaining` the head in place, yet permitting it to rotate freely. Also, as better shown, in Figures 3 and 4, this circular track carries a pair of spaced parallel guide rods 15, the outer ends of which are directed upwardly as at 16, and fastened tothe under side of the track 11.

The previously referred to motor driven gear unit comprises an appropriate motor 17 (Figure 2) carried by a suspension yoke 1S, 'fastened to a slidably mounted plate I9, having longitudinally spaced sleeve-s 20, slidably receiving the horizontal port-ions l5 oi" the guide rods. The driving pinion 2l oi the motor is in mesh with a comparatively large bevelled gear 22, carried by the rotary stem 23, mounted in the bearing bracket 24 (seen in Figure 'Ihe stem 23 carries a pinion 25 at its top, which is in turn in mesh with another larger gear 26, carrying a shaft 27, at the upper end of which is a friction drive pulley or wheel 28, adapted to frictionally contact the inner surface of the aforesaid friction band 4. All gearing, motor, friction pulley and thelike, constitutes what may besaid to be a unit and they are all carried by the sliding plates l). Referring now, to the oppositeend of this sliding plate 19, as seen better in Figure l, it will be observed that it is provided with a transverse slot just above the reinforcing rod l0. Loosely received in this slot is the upper curved end of one arm of a bell crank 29, mounted upon the cross rod 30. The outer end of the lower arm of the bell crank is fashioned to form a toot piece' 3l. F ashioned to the other rod 10 at the opposite side of the device, are coiled springs 32, which are, in turn, anchored at their opposite ends upon the sliding plate 19, it being the normal tendency of the springs -to maintain the friction driving pulley 28 in driving contact with the band 4l. However, by placing the foot upon the foot piece 3l and rocking the bell crank upon its iulerum, the plate 19 can'bel slid in a direction from left tov right to bodily7 shift the driving unit, out of driving connection with said band. Under normal conditions, the springs 32 serve to maintain the driving pulley 28 in frictional contact with the band 4, carried by the rotary head l. 0bviously, upon starting the electric motor, the pulley Q8 will be driven, through the medium of the intermeshing gearing, thus impartinol rotation to the head, and in turn to the cabinet carried thereby. The cabinet can be rotated a complete revolution or a part revolution, to display the articles in theV various compartments which it contains. Should it be desired to stop the rotation of the cabinet, at any point throughout its rotation, the operator simply places his :toot upon the foot piece 3l ot' the bell crank 29, rocking the same upon its fulcrumr and sliding the plate 19, as before stated, to move the pulley 2S out of contact with the band 4t. The gearing is so related that the speed oit' rotation of the cabinet is comparatively slow. IIowever, if the momentum gained is such as to continue to rotate the cabinet, after the driving unit has been thus shiited, it is only necessary to stop further rotation by hand.

.It is thought that the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, will enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates to obtain a clear understanding of the same. For this reason, a more lengthy description need not be entered,

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment ot the invention, it is to be understood that any changes falling within the field of invent-ion as claimed, may be resorted to, if desired.`

I claim:

l. In a structure of the class described, a relatively stationary table, a circular track carried thereby, a rotaryl head mounted for rotation upon said track, said head being adapted to carry a cabinet, gu-ides carried by said track and disposed thcrebeneath, a plate slidable between said guides, inter meshing gearing carried by said plate, a driving motor for said gearing also carried by said plate, and a frictional driving pulley forming a part of' the gearing, and adapted for cooperation with said head for dfriving it.

2. In a. structure of the class described, a relatively stationary table, a circular track carried by said table, a pair of spaced guide rods carried by said track and disposed therebcneath, a plate slidably mounted upon said guide rods, gearing carried by said plate, a motor also carried by said plate, a friction driving pulley in association with saidgearing, a head mounted for rotation upon 'said track, said head being provided with a friction band, with which said pulley is adapted to frictionallyv contact.

8; I-n a structure of the class described, a relatively stationary table, a track carried by said table, a pair of spacedy guide rods disposed in parallelism beneath said track and carried thereby, a slidable plate slidably mounted upon and between said rods, intermeshing` gearing carried by said plate, a` motor suspended from 'said plate, a friction driving pulley in association with. said gearing, said pulley, gearing, and motor being slidable as a unit with said plate, spring means for maintaining said plate in a predetermined position, and manually operated means for shifting the plate in a predetermined direction, against the action ot said spring'means, and a rotary head' mounted for rotation upon said track, and provided on its under side with a friction band with which said pulley has contact.

ik .In a structure of the class described, a relatively stationary table embodyingstandards, radiating` arms connected to the tops oi said standards, a circular track mounted upon said table, a pair of spaced parallel guide rods carried by and disposed beneath said track, a rotary head mounted. for rotation upon said track, said head embodying radially disposed spider arms carrying a depending` circular friotionally driven band, a plate slidably mounted between the aforesaid guide rods, intermeshing gearing oarried by said plate, driving means for said gearing carried by said plate, a friction pulley in association with Said gearing and in frietional driving Contact with said band, Spring means for normally maintaining said pulley in frietional Contact With the band, and a bell crank fulornmed upon Said table 10 and connected with said plate for sliding it in a direction upon said guide rod against the tension of said spring` means.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature.

CHARLIE E. NICHOLS. 

